Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Hello everyone! It's been a little while since I posted my introduction, and I apologize for that.
Here's the thing: Life happened. I know, I know... lame excuse, right? Anyhow, things are getting back on track, and I wanted to take the time to share this awesome pork shoulder we smoked, and subsequently, turned into amazingly delectable pulled pork sandwiches.
The feeling is right!
It was a beautiful Autumn day, with highs in the upper 50s. Perfect smoking weather. The wife and I had been wanting to smoke something for a long time, but in the summer months it's just too hot. The next day's weather (when we'd actually smoke the thing) was also supposed to be simply gorgeous, so this felt like the perfect time.
I started with a nice (never frozen!) pork shoulder from our local grocer. I can't say for sure where it came from, but the label assured me it was on the up-and-up. (In the future, we'd like to purchase a whole/half hog and a side of beef from a local farmer, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)
The pork shoulder was about 8 lbs (before brining), and reasonably priced, @ around 11 dollars. We have a Traeger brand smoker, and so for simplicity's sake, followed the Traeger recipe, albeit with a lot of our own modifications. We brined the pork shoulder overnight in the refrigerator, as per the recipe, using salt, brown sugar, and enough apple cider to cover it.
Fresh out of the brine-bath
Early the next morning, I took it out and got ready for the injection process. I'm a firm believer in injecting meat before smoking it, as it really tends to result in a more tender finished product.
Flavor-injection complete
The next step was (as any grillmaster knows!) rubbing the meat. First off, we didn't use any of the Traeger branded pork rub, like it suggested. Now normally I would have taken the time to make my own pork rub (I usually make a big batch, so I can have a little on hand when needed). However, I was feeling especially relaxed (more truthfully: lazy!) on this fine Fall morning, so I cheated a little and used some of whatever store-bought rub we had on hand, along with some of my own additions.
We set the smoker at 225 and threw the meat on. I mopped it with the remaining brine for the first couple checks as well, about an hour or so apart.
Slapped directly on the grill grate
A couple hours further along in the process
We ended up smoking the pork shoulder for probably about 8 and a half hours, all told. I honestly didn't keep that close of a watch on the time, instead opting to go by internal temperature. Once it reached 195 degrees Fahrenheit, we took it off and let it rest for about 20 minutes. It was hard not to tear into it at this point!
Must... resist... temptation!
Even Cheese couldn't stand the waiting
Next up, was to tear the meat into smaller pieces, perfect for building a pulled pork sandwich. I accomplished this with what I call my "bear claws". It's an arduous and mouth-watering process, but the end result is SO worth it.
I'm so happy right now!
Look at that smoke ring!
While I had been tending the smoker off and on throughout the day, my wife had been crafting a delicious combination of homemade coleslaw and equally homemade baked beans.
The end result
All in all, it was a long day, made no less grueling by the fact that we could smell the smoked meat the entire time.... talk about making you hungry! It was 110% worth the wait though. The meat was tender and moist, with a delicious smoky flavor, and the beans and coleslaw were to die for.
Verdict: 10/10, would voraciously devour again!
I hope you enjoyed this post! I'm planning on posting more consistently in the future, unless the impending baby-day arrives earlier than anticipated. Until next time, take care, and God bless!